Travel
- More Frustrations
I drove to Best Buy on a cloudy day to see if I could get the "sled" that would allow me to transfer the contents of my old hard drive to my new computer. The Apple tech told me it should only cost about $15 or 16, but it is actually $40! ...
- Palace Of The Countess Of Lebrija In Seville
The Palace of the Countess of Lebrija is one of my favorite places in Seville. It gathers one of the most impressive Roman mosaic collections in Spain and I'm a sucker for ancient stuff. So, yeah, 1+1= I love it here. After spending a couple of hours...
- Hotel Infante Sagres, Porto. Luxury And Romance
When we visited Porto, at the beginning of March, we stayed in one of the most luxurious 5 star boutique hotels the city has to offer - Hotel Infante Sagres, part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Location Located in the very heart...
- A Walk To Remember. Discovering Porto's Best Kept Secrets
Old Porto tram car still in use Every city has its secret corners that it reveals slowly, over time, to the patient traveler, and Porto is no exception. Therefore we were thrilled when the guys from EcoTours Portugal invited...
- Unesco World Heritage Site: Palace Of Catalan Music, Barcelona
If Barcelona were a woman she would be a ravishing but rebellious Miss Spain misfit, one who regularly neglects her beauty sleep, never feels guilty about having a good time, and does not care what she looks like in the morning. I happen to love Barcelona....
Travel
The Stock Exchange Palace of Porto & Its Magnificent Arabic Room
Porto is situated pretty up north, and most people wouldn't expect to find Arabic art and influences here. And truth being told, you won't, except for one stunningly decorated room inside the Stock Exchange Palace (or Palácio da Bolsa in Portuguese).
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| The Arabic Room |
Like many other people, we did our homework in advance, and well before arriving in Porto we knew about this extravagant room. But nothing, absolutely no photo nor description prepared us for the real experience. The level of details on the walls of this splendorous room, the vastness of it, and the brilliance of the Portuguese artists who for 18 years worked towards it's completion are impossible to put into words or pixels. This is one space that you have to see it to believe it.
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| The Court Room |
The Stock Exchange Palace is part of the UNESCO Wold Heritage of Porto. It belongs to the Commercial Association and it was build by three generations of artist and craftsmen, from the 1842 till the beginnings of the 20th century, in Neoclassical style.
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| The General Assembly Room |
Though the exterior of the building is pretty austere, symbolizing the reliability and genuineness of the business conducted inside, the interiors are lavishly decorated, symbolizing the richness and prosperity of the merchants.
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| The President's Office |
Nowadays, the Arabic Room is used for classical music concerts. It has wonderful acoustics and attending a music performance here gives you the much needed time to take in all the details of this gorgeous room.
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| Detail from the Arabic Room |
The rooms of the palace are decorated from top to bottom. And most of them have the 'wow' effect. But none of them will leave you mouth opened as much as the Arabic Room, I have to admit it. I was in complete awe the moment we stepped in this room and I felt like I was just beamed up to a different dimension.
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| Ceiling of the President's Office |
Besides from visiting the Stock Exchange Palace, you can also go for a wine tasting and grab a bite in the palace's restaurant.
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| The Noble Staircase |
The Hall of Nations is a wonderful 19 meters high space with an incredible glass and steel dome that lets natural light pass trough. It is decorated with the coats of arms of the countries Portugal had the closest friendship and trading relations and I could almost hear the music and start dancing, as this is a perfect setting for a fancy ball.
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| Hall of Nations |
Though on the outside it doesn't promise the moon, Porto's Stock Exchange Palace is well worth a visit on the inside. After finishing our visit, we were drunk with the beauty of this place and we definitely think this is one of the must see places in Porto.
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| The Stock Exchange Palace |
We want to give a huge thanks to the Stock Exchange Palace of Porto and its staff for the private tour, their kindness and for letting us take photos of this magnificent gem.
- More Frustrations
I drove to Best Buy on a cloudy day to see if I could get the "sled" that would allow me to transfer the contents of my old hard drive to my new computer. The Apple tech told me it should only cost about $15 or 16, but it is actually $40! ...
- Palace Of The Countess Of Lebrija In Seville
The Palace of the Countess of Lebrija is one of my favorite places in Seville. It gathers one of the most impressive Roman mosaic collections in Spain and I'm a sucker for ancient stuff. So, yeah, 1+1= I love it here. After spending a couple of hours...
- Hotel Infante Sagres, Porto. Luxury And Romance
When we visited Porto, at the beginning of March, we stayed in one of the most luxurious 5 star boutique hotels the city has to offer - Hotel Infante Sagres, part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Location Located in the very heart...
- A Walk To Remember. Discovering Porto's Best Kept Secrets
Old Porto tram car still in use Every city has its secret corners that it reveals slowly, over time, to the patient traveler, and Porto is no exception. Therefore we were thrilled when the guys from EcoTours Portugal invited...
- Unesco World Heritage Site: Palace Of Catalan Music, Barcelona
If Barcelona were a woman she would be a ravishing but rebellious Miss Spain misfit, one who regularly neglects her beauty sleep, never feels guilty about having a good time, and does not care what she looks like in the morning. I happen to love Barcelona....